FEMA Region III Introduces Plan Integration: Linking Local Planning Efforts

PHILADELPHIA – FEMA Region III has developed a planning integration guide titled Plan Integration: Linking Local Planning Efforts, which is aimed at helping communities link mitigation principles and actions with various community plans in order to increase community resilience. The guide leads planners and community officials through synchronizing plans and facilitating interagency coordination to reduce risk before and after a disaster.

Use of the planning integration guide enhances risk reduction through community-wide planning by improving coordination; developing specific recommendations for integration into community-wide plans; compiling existing plan measures to include in your hazard mitigation plan; and meeting the Local Mitigation Plan Review Tool requirement to integrate hazard mitigation.

“The guide, Plan Integration: Linking Local Planning Efforts, is a tool communities can tap into to strengthen resiliency through enhanced hazard mitigation planning. Community resilience is directly tied to recovery, which means this resource has the potential for impacting all phases of the full disaster cycle,” said FEMA Region III Regional Administrator MaryAnn Tierney. “This kind of pilot program lays the foundation for stronger resilience in any community. When community planners who live and work in communities set their own resilience priorities they take ownership of mitigation planning and the enthusiasm that generates inspires others to do the same – and that can help jump-start even more widespread success.”

The planning integration guide uses step-by-step instructions and a checklist, real-world examples from communities, and illustrations to assist in gathering and organizing information. Through use of the guide and its resources and tools, communities can develop their own plan integration document as well as identify where gaps exist and develop strategies to address the gaps. The end result of this effort is a synchronized planning effort to increase community resiliency and reduce the risk posed by disasters.

Plan Integration: Linking Local Planning Efforts  is available at https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/108893. For further information about the guide, contact fema-r3-hm-planning@fema.dhs.gov.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards. FEMA Region III’s jurisdiction includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.  Stay informed of FEMA’s activities online: videos and podcasts are available at fema.gov/medialibrary and youtube.com/fema. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/femaregion3.

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